Just now as I sit down, it is hard to remember where this day began. It’s been a long day, or at least it seems that way, although I’m sure I’m not noticing the microseconds of difference between yesterday and today. I slept in this morning a little bit, it was almost eight when I woke up. At first I thought maybe it was the weekend making me sleep in, though really, the days of the week make nearly no matter to me at all- apart from whatever errands I can or can’t run on certain days.
Yet my Fitbit assures me that for the last ten days I’ve progressively gone to sleep later and woken up later- specifically, since I’ve been back in Jackson. Is it geographical? Time change? Maybe I think, it’s electricity on tap. From where I sit, there are ten light bulbs lit. No wonder I’m still awake at one oh five am. I bet if I started turning off the lights at sunset, I’d be in bed a lot earlier.
So I slept in, came downstairs and dawdled around a bit, picking up this and that, the daily cleaning. My legs again felt comparatively good this morning and as I was walking around the house I went to fill my tobacco pipe and noticed I was low on tobacco. This caused two issues. One, I would need to get more tobacco. Two, I was smoking too much tobacco. A fourteen ounce bag of tobacco lasted less than two weeks. As these thoughts occurred in quick succession, the next came with it. If I walked up to the tobacco shoppe, that would be a way to ‘earn’ the next bag of tobacco.
Legs feeling good, breakfast and boost already done, I thought what the heck, let’s see what walking up that hill on Ganson to Lansing Ave will feel like. I gathered my things and set off. Eight tenths of a mile from my place there and then the same back with not much of a break in between. The walk there going up the big hill felt good; for most of it I just held my cane. The walk back was worse, going downhill demands a longer step forward with a lower landing, putting more weight on my feet as they land.
Also- let’s just mention sidewalks. They are made of concrete. My feet kind of liked the soft dirt and grass trails I’ve been walking. Concrete kinda sucks on my ankles and knees. Anyway.
When I had arrived at the shop, just as I walk walking in I saw their advertisement for the Breeze Pro vapes- my preferred brand before I had left to Texas and couldn’t find them anymore- for a third of the price as a bag of tobacco. Instantly I thought to myself: nicotine confusion. I’ve gotten pretty used to the tobacco pipe over the last month or two, and I do like it. However, just like fishing.. it’s an activity that lends itself well to sitting down.
At the same time though, I’m not ‘quitting’ my tobacco pipe, I really do like smoking a pipe, especially now that I have a real nice pipe! However, even as I learned then, smoking it as much as I do isn’t good for the pipe. So.. I’ll have a vape around if I need to quench any serious cravings, yet otherwise I’ll give my new pipe some time to dry out.
Once I got back home my legs were in shreds, my left was completely cramped or spasmed or whatever it does that makes my whole left left go stiff, forcing me to swing it along as I walk with my hip on that side. Yet, I did make it- and it wasn’t too bad, considering the size of that hill. Relaxed for a while to recover, then got up and moving again. My legs usually stiffen up a bit every time I sit down, but today was ridiculous. As long as I kept moving they were okay and whenever I took a break then stood again, it felt as I was ripping my leg muscles apart from the inside out.
I was bad enough I went to find the muscle relaxers- I hadn’t yet brought them inside from the car. That help a bit and kept me getting back up after my breaks. Breaks that I’ll mention where much shorter as there is no reason to sit in a chair for an hour without a pipe in my hand.
The kitchen got cleaned up a little and I finished mounting my new stand up work station desk. As you guessed it, using a computer is another one of those -previously- sit down activities. Now this will be for my Windows workstation that I haven’t used in four months, as I’ve had no work to do.. and what I have needed to do, I’ve done on my new laptop (which I’m using at the moment) that I picked up for the roadtrip.
Yet, the time has come to fire up that workstation. To see if I can make it, make me some money. I don’t know, we’ll see.. maybe I can find a nice online work from home kind of job?
Time to rest.